


The Prince and his Sword

by Ramabear (RyMagnatar)



Series: Princes, Swords, Tutors and Shadows [1]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Demon Hunters, Demons, F/M, Feudal Era, I watched both Demon Slayer and Dororo in the same weekend before I started this, KHR Rare Pair Week 2020, M/M, Minor Character Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Royalty AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:27:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24876916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RyMagnatar/pseuds/Ramabear
Summary: When Xanxus lost his best friend at the hands of demons, he decided that he would spend his life hunting them down in retaliation. He's determined to endure this fight on his own, resisting all attempts of his liege lord and grandfather to assign him a bodyguard of any kind. The ones who he cannot chase away usually end up in the hands of demons. Finally fed up with his recklessness, his grandfather gives him his last bodyguard: the wandering swordsman- Yamamoto Takeshi.
Relationships: Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Sawada Iemitsu/Sawada Nana, Xanxus/Yamamoto Takeshi
Series: Princes, Swords, Tutors and Shadows [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1800073
Kudos: 36
Collections: KHR Rare Pair Week 2020





	1. Grandfather's "Gift"

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [KHR_Rare_Pair_Week_2020](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/KHR_Rare_Pair_Week_2020) collection. 



> this is another one of those "got the beginning written, will finish up later " pieces. i got lots of those. everything becomes more involved as I work on it. sigh.
> 
> there will be four chapters posted (for now) more to come later

Xanxus is in a good mood when he strides through the halls of his grandfather’s palace. He still has the wind in his hair from his morning ride and the success of his last outing thrums in his blood, painting the world in bright, exciting colors. As he approaches the doors to the great hall Grandfather uses to conduct public matters, they slide open under the touch of servants and Xanxus doesn’t have to slow down in the least.

He walks about halfway into the room before slowing to a stop and sweeping a bow towards his Grandfather. There is a small audience in attendance, including his sister-in-law and her attendants, a handful of nobles that Xanxus identifies and dismisses with a glance and other regular attendants for his Grandfather.

There are a few unknown individuals seated off to one side, but the only one that catches Xanxus’s attention is the man who kneels before Grandfather, not facing him but turned to the side. He is a stranger with dark hair and a cheerful smile, neither of which makes him distinctive. Even his clothing of muted blue and grey colors, almost impolitely casual in appearance, don’t make him stand out in the court.

It is the sword that he wears at his side, a fine black sheath and hilt, tucked into his obi as casual as you please, that draws Xanxus’s attention.

The only ones who are allowed to wear weapons within Grandfather’s presence, outside of military affairs, are the members of his guard and his household. 

Xanxus’s good mood immediately drops, for there is only one reason why Grandfather would have a stranger with his weapon sitting here in attendance on an afternoon where he had summoned Xanxus to speak with him. 

“Grandfather,” Xanxus said, “I am here as you requested.”

He meets the old man’s gaze and then drops his eyes down in deferment. A frown tucks itself into the corner of his mouth. 

“Xanxus,” Grandfather said, “I am pleased to see you have returned from your brief trip. The roads have treated you well?”

“Yes, Grandfather,” Xanxus said. “I faced no trouble that I could not deal with _single-handedly_ and since I was able to travel at a pace suitable to me, I have returned in time for my nephew’s birthday.” Xanxus glanced at his sister-in-law, inclining his head politely, “Is my nephew well?”

Nana smiled at him, “He is. He has missed you, Xanxus, and will be delighted to hear you have returned.”

“Xanxus,” Grandfather drew his attention back. His gaze had sharpened somewhat, which told Xanxus that the old man was aware he was trying to divert the conversation, “I have spoken with you at length about the state of the world and in your travels, you have most certainly come across many things that many mortal men do not walk away from.”

Xanxus bowed his head and bit his cheek. He had heard this before. He had even interrupted this before but that had never gone well for him. He glanced at the swordsman kneeling to the side who smiled and watched in silence.

“This will be the fifth year since your childhood companion fell to such dangers,” Grandfather said, “And also the fifth year that you have spent dedicating your life to destroying such dangers. I understand the depth of your convictions well. I am impressed by your dedication to his memory and to your blade.

“However, you continue to behave rashly. You court danger, Xanxus, and there will come a time where that danger you flirt with will outmatch you. Indeed, it has overwhelmed many of the guards I have assigned to you. And those who were not outdone by the creatures you fight were surpassed by _you.”_

“Grandfather,” Xanxus lifted his chin, “I assure you-”

Grandfather lifted his hand and Xanxus fell silent with a scowl.

“This is the last time we will have this conversation,” Grandfather said. “I grow weary of the weight of those lost who were there to watch over you. In fact, I have no desire to ever give you a guard again. There are some lessons a man must learn on his own and the value of your own life and the health of your body are two that you will learn in time. Hopefully, before either one is lost.”

Grandfather lowered his hand and sighed heavily. “This man before you is Yamamoto Takeshi.” 

Yamamoto bowed low as Grandfather spoke his name.

“He arrived at the household and offered his services as a swordsman to our family. While he is trained as well as any samurai, he is not one by birth and was taught his skill by his father. You have thrown off every samurai, every soldier, every guard, every attendant I have ever put at your heels to protect you, Xanxus, and so I give unto you this man in a final attempt accompany you while you plunge headlong into danger from your foolhardiness. Perhaps someone who has endured much due to his low birth will have the strength to suffer at your side while you endanger your life over and over again.”

Xanxus scowled even harder. He didn’t care about Yamamoto’s birth status, but he hated the way Grandfather spoke about his cause. Did he not just praise Xanxus for his skill and determination? Why disparage the good he was doing in slaughtering demons and freeing the people from their influence? Xanxus had never gotten grievously injured since that night five years ago- He had learned from that mistake. He was stronger now, faster too.

“Yamamoto is your companion from this moment on, to do with as you wish,” Grandfather said, “Except I forbid you from dismissing him from your presence.” Grandfather leaned back and gave a silent sigh. “Yamamoto, you are to be as Xanxus’s shadow. You are to pledge yourself to him. You will be loyal and obedient to him alone. Protect his life with your own. Remember what I have told you should you fail to save Xanxus and survive his death.”

Xanxus opened his mouth to dispute this or to say something, anything, but Grandfather turned his head to the side, “You are both dismissed.”

Xanxus hesitated. He should just argue about this. He should refuse this guard. He had already gone through more than he’d ever wanted. His work was difficult and dangerous and no one could ever keep up with him, not as Squalo could.

Yamamoto rose silently to his feet, bowed deeply to Grandfather, and then turned and walked over to Xanxus. He gave him that same blank smile and stood behind him, off to one side.

Xanxus snarled wordlessly at him and turned around. He’d just have to scrape this shadow off again before he headed back out so he wouldn’t have to keep track of him. Xanxus left the greeting hall, rage curling deep in his gut. Xanxus didn’t want to endanger any other life but his own- The whole point of this was to slay the demons who preyed on the people here in his grandfather’s region. 

Stalking back out of the room and into the hallways, Xanxus’s thoughts coiled into a tighter and tighter spiral of anger. This was so unnecessary. He did not need a guard. His grandfather did not need to publically assign him one. He did not need a reiteration on how foolish his grandfather thought he was. 

What did he want Xanxus to do with his time? The borders were relatively peaceful. The peasants were working hard. Food was plentiful enough that all had enough to eat and to make storage of. Xanxus could not stay cooped up in the castle. He needed to be outside, riding and fighting and _living._

Xanxus ended up back outside in the courtyard. His favorite horse would be exhausted from his run, but-

“Ah, it is still a beautiful day.”

Yamamoto’s voice was cheerful and he stood there, shading his eyes with one hand. “Are we to go for a ride, Master Xanxus?”

Xanxus glared at him for a long minute in absolute silence. “I have no desire for your companionship, Yamamoto. You’re here to appease my Grandfather’s paranoia and nothing more.”

Yamamoto smiled at him, “If you say so, Master Xanxus.”

“And don’t call me that.”

“Would you prefer Lord Xanxus? Or Prince Xanxus?”

“Do not address me if you can help it. If you must address me at all,” Xanxus snapped, “You will call me Xanxus.”

Yamamoto smiled at him.

Xanxus turned away from him and caught sight of one of the servants nearby. He walked over to the young man who led two horses by the reigns. The servant noticed him coming over at the last moment and hurriedly ducked his head, “M-master Xanxus!”

“I’ll be borrowing that horse,” he said, holding out his hand.

“This horse is for-” the servant started and then promptly shut himself up with a squeak when he looked up and saw Xanxus glaring at him, “This horse is for you, sir!”

“I will take the other one,” Yamamoto said, “Thank you.”

“I-” 

Xanxus ignored both of them as he took the reins and climbed onto the back of the horse. It snorted at him, sensing his agitation, but moved when he nudged it forward. He ignored the way Yamamoto followed him astride the other horse.

He wouldn’t go very far- he had just gotten home and wanted a rest from travel, but Xanxus needed some air and he couldn’t get that behind the stifling walls of the palace. He urged his horse out the gate and down the trail, leaning over the horse’s neck and picking up speed as they headed for an exterior gate. 

The guards saw him coming and hurried to open the gate for him. Xanxus rode through just as it was wide enough to do so. His horse thundered past and though he tried not to pay attention to it, he could hear Yamamoto’s horse running not far behind.

Xanxus led the horse down a familiar path that wound through a scattering of buildings, near some fields and out towards a forested area. He slowed down the farther they got until the horse moved at a steady trot through the forest, following a path more traveled by animals than humans. Eventually, he came upon a clearing in the forest where someone had once lived. There were the remains of an old wooden structure, a single room building perhaps made for a woodcutter or a hermit. It had been there for as long as Xanxus could remember, as well as the fruit tree nearby. 

As it was nearing the middle of fall already, the tree had no fruit and no flowers but a crown of red and orange leaves that swayed in the cool autumn breeze. Xanxus rode up to the tree and then stopped his horse with a click of his tongue. He turned the horse, nudging it with his knee and turning in the saddle until he faced the swordsman.

Yamamoto sat on his own horse about ten feet away, looking around at the clearing, admiring it with a silent smile. After a moment he turned to face Xanxus as well.

“Who was your father?”

“Yamamoto Tsuyoshi,” Yamamoto said.

“I’ve never heard of him. What is the sword style he taught you?”

“Shigure Sōen Ryū.” 

“I have not heard of that style either,” Xanxus said.

“It is a family tradition,” Yamamoto said. “My father taught it to me as his taught it to him.”

“Was your father not the master of a dojo?”

“He was not.”

“Then what was he?”

“He is a chef.”

Xanxus stared at him. “A _chef?”_

“Yes,” Yamamoto’s smile grew, “A very good one. He has a sushi shop in Yoshiba. I would recommend it if you were to ever visit the town.”

“Yoshiba is several weeks worth of travel from here.”

“It is.”

Xanxus frowned. The horse beneath him dug its hoof into the soft earth, snorting. Xanxus absently stroked its neck to soothe it. “Why did you travel here?”

“I didn’t have a reason why I came here specifically,” Yamamoto said, “I was simply walking wherever the road took me. It was when I was in a nearby field that I decided to stay here for a little while. You see, my feet had gotten quite tired and I was hungry.”

Xanxus was startled into laughter. “You stopped here to rest your feet? You signed your life away in service of my grandfather for food?”

Yamamoto’s smile grew very broad as if he was touched by Xanxus’s humor, but he didn’t laugh. “If a man is tired, he will want to rest. If a man is hungry, he will want to eat. When he is fed and when he is rested, he will want for other things, sure enough.”

“Is that some poor attempt at philosophy?” Xanxus asked, “Are you the religious type, Yamamoto?”

“If there is a God who watches over us,” Yamamoto said with a smile, “I do not think he would think much of a man who thinks as simply as I do.”

Xanxus nudged his horse again, urging it to walk towards Yamamoto. Yamamoto did not move his own, didn’t do anything at all, just watched Xanxus with a bright smile and dark, cold eyes. “You are a strange man, Yamamoto.” When he was next to Yamamoto, he asked quietly, “When you are fed and rested, what are the other things that you want for?”

For the first time, Yamamoto looked away from him, though he did not stop smiling. “I am a simple man who wants simple things, Xanxus. And I find that my feet are always weary and I could always eat another bite.”

Xanxus snorted, “You find no satisfaction in your life?”

“Do you find satisfaction in yours?” Yamamoto looked at him again from the corner of his eye.

Xanxus smirked, amused both by the question and Yamamoto’s obvious deflection, “If I did not live to my satisfaction, I would change the way I live.” He pressed his heels back to move his horse forward, “A man is responsible for his own satisfaction. You need to seek it and take it for no one will give it to you.”

Yamamoto turned his horse around and followed Xanxus back through the forest. He was close enough that Xanxus could hear the hum he gave of acknowledgment. “I see. You are a wise man, Xanxus. Is it God who gives you such wisdom?”

Xanxus snorted. “I am not a religious man,” Xanxus said, “My thoughts are my own. My wisdom is my own. My life is my own.”

Yamamoto was quiet after that, which Xanxus didn’t mind. He had plenty to think about on their ride back up to the palace. It took much longer to return than it took to descend, as Xanxus didn’t go much faster than a trot and the horses had to work harder going uphill. 

Despite Yamamoto’s silence, Xanxus could feel his presence there at his back. He had a calm but intense aura to him. The longer Xanxus spent in his company, the more he was sure that Yamamoto was no average wandering swordsman. He would have to ask about this Shigure Sōen Ryū style. Someone had to have heard about it and his father. 

No one raised by a simple _chef_ could carry this kind of presence.

Back within the inner walls of the castle and in the courtyard, Xanxus dismounted again. The ride had been good for his mind but he was more tired than he had been before. And he was hungry too. 

He watched as Yamamoto dismounted, patting his borrowed horse on the neck as he handed the reins to an awaiting servant. As the horses were led away, Xanxus said, “We’re to see my nephew next. He’s a sensitive child, Yamamoto, so be mindful of yourself. I don’t care what Grandfather said about you being my shadow. If you upset my nephew on purpose I will permanently remove your head from your shoulders.”

Yamamoto smiled at him, eyes crinkling as if he were amused by this threat. “I will do my best, Xanxus.”

Wasting no more time with threats or warnings, Xanxus turned. He knew well the path to the part of the castle where his brother, sister-in-law, and nephew lived with their attendants. He kept to the outside path this time, having no desire to even accidentally cross paths with his grandfather, his brother, or any of the nobles who were sure to be about. 

As he passed from the larger part of the palace and into the smaller section for their household, there was a subtle shift in the decor and clothing of servants they passed. Nana was fond of softer shades of color, especially those similar to the wisteria trees that encircled this portion of the palace grounds. Since it was autumn, the trees were golden and orange now, which contrasted against the pale purples all around.

Xanxus found his nephew where he expected him to be in the early afternoon. There was a small garden enclosed by various plants carefully cultivated by Nana and her handmaids. The garden contained a large, deep pool of white koi fish and flat stones to meditate on. 

Tsuna sat next to the pool of water, his brows furrowed, his lips bunched tight in concentration as he ‘meditated’ on one of these stones. His tutor sat on a stone nearby, with the perfect posture that Tsuna was clearly trying to emulate. 

Xanxus had just crossed the threshold into the garden when Tsuna’s eyes popped open and a huge smile broke across his face. “Xanxus!” 

Beside him, Gokudera sighed heavily. With his eyes still closed he said, “We are meditating, Xanxus.”

“Of course you are,” Xanxus said with a grin, “And surely you can continue to do so, eyes closed and unaware while I whisk my nephew off for an hour or so.” He went around the edge of the pool and bent down to pick up Tsuna. Tsuna flung his hands up at him, grinning brightly as Xanxus lifted him into the air.

“You certainly have grown, Tsuna!” Xanxus said, “Are you eight already?”

“Not yet! My birthday is tomorrow,” Tsuna said, “Are you going to stay for my birthday?”

“I wouldn’t miss it for anything,” Xanxus said. He set Tsuna back down on the ground and ruffled his hair. 

Gokudera was watching them with a mildly annoyed face. Considering that was his resting expression, Xanxus figured he wasn’t too annoyed by Xanxus interrupting them. “Tsuna, your attention please.”

Tsuna quickly turned around, tucking his hands behind himself as he looked at his tutor. “Yes, sensei?”

“Would you like to spend time with your uncle this afternoon?”

“Yes, sensei!”

“You did very well in your lessons this morning,” Gokudera said, “And the ones I had in mind for you this afternoon we can do at another time. Listen to your uncle and do not get into trouble.”

“Yes, sensei! Thank you so much!” Tsuna whirled around and grabbed Xansus’s hand, “Can we go play now, uncle? Can we please?”

“That’s the idea,” Xanxus said, he scooped Tsuna up again and slung him over a shoulder. “Let’s get out of your mother’s garden before we do anything too rowdy though.”

He turned to carry Tsuna out of the garden and found that Yamamoto had never entered it. He stood just outside the smooth white stones embedded in the ground that served as the entrance to the garden. His hands were hidden in his sleeves and his gaze was focused on Gokudera. He smiled, but it did not touch his eyes.

“Yamamoto-”

His eyes instantly snapped to Xanxus’s face and his smile grew. He stepped to the side to let them pass. 

“Is this one your new dog, Xanxus?” 

Xanxus half-turned to Gokudera, brow arching, “Sounds like you two have met, so that saves me making introductions.” 

Gokudera rose smoothly to his feet. “You’ll get rid of him soon enough, won’t you? Before he causes any trouble?”

Xanxus lifted his other brow, “Well, I’m not sure. He’s been a good dog so far. Quiet. Obedient. Hasn’t pissed on my shoes or bitten anyone yet. What more could a man want from his dog?”

Gokudera’s expression was pinched as though he’d bitten into something sour. “Must you keep him? Surely you don’t need him.”

“I would be inclined to agree with you,” Xanxus said, “However, Grandfather has other opinions and so this dog is mine to keep.”

Xanxus could feel Tsuna’s hands dig into the back of his shirt, clutching tightly to him. “Uncle Xanxus?”

Xanxus patted Tsuna on the back to soothe him. “A moment more, Tsuna, I just need to finish speaking with your sensei.”

Gokudera’s gaze narrowed. “Then keep a close eye on him. If he bares his teeth inappropriately, I will make sure you are held responsible.”

Xanxus snorted. He turned his back on Gokudera again. The tutor was loud and abrasive, to be sure, but the power he held in court was limited to his influence over Tsuna and Nana. He wasn’t enough of a threat for Xanxus to really worry about. 

Yamamoto ducked his head when Xanxus passed and fell in step behind him, silent as before.

Tsuna kicked his feet a little, “Put me down, Uncle Xanxus! I can walk!”

Xanxus pulled Tsuna off his shoulder and set him down. Tsuna tugged at his clothes and then pouted up at Xanxus. “Don’t be mean to sensei.”

“I wasn’t mean to sensei,” Xanxus ruffled his hair. “And besides, if I was, he was mean first. He called the guard that Grandfather gave me a dog. Yamamoto’s a swordsman, not a dog.”

Tsuna peered around Xanxus to look at Yamamoto and immediately hid again, moving so that Xanxus stood between them. “But he’s scary like a dog is,” Tsuna mumbled. 

“Well even if he is scary, he does whatever I tell him to do or else he’ll get in big, big trouble with me. And I’m the biggest, scariest person around, aren’t I?”

Tsuna nodded, gripping Xanxus’s sleeve tightly in one hand. “Sensei said to be careful around him,” he whispered, “Because his eyes are mean eyes.”

“He does have mean eyes,” Xanxus said, “But he has a nice smile, doesn’t he?”

Tsuna hunched his shoulders, hiding half his face against Xanxus. 

“Yamamoto,” Xanxus gestured for him to step around to his front. Yamamoto moved as he indicated, standing to one side. “Give Tsuna a _nice_ smile.”

Yamamoto went down to one knee and smiled at Tsuna, his eyes creasing with the expression. “Hello, Tsuna,” Yamamoto said, “My name is Yamamoto Takeshi. I’m here to protect your uncle from bad things that try to hurt him. He’s very fond of you so I’ll do my best to protect you too, okay?”

“You won’t cut off my head?” Tsuna asked timidly, pressed against Xanxus’s leg.

“I won’t cut off your head,” Yamamoto said. He held up his fist, pinky extended, “I pinky swear it.”

Tsuna looked wide-eyed at Yamamoto’s hand. Slowly, he reached out and hooked his pinky to Yamamoto’s. “Okay. Pinky swear.”

Xanxus snorted. It figured that a simple man and a simple boy would understand each other on such a childish level. “Who said Yamamoto would cut off your head? Did your sensei say that?”

“He said that we didn’t know where Yamamoto came from and that he could be from anywhere and here to do anything and that he was dangerous and he might cut off people’s heads!” Tsuna exclaimed, waving his arms around, hands clasped together like he was holding a sword. “He said that strange swordsmen without masters were dangerous to have wandering around!”

“He said all that, did he?” Xanxus laughed a little, “Your sensei is very paranoid about keeping you safe, Tsuna. Which is a good thing but also sometimes a little too much, don’t you think? It’s not good to be so scared of everything all the time.”

“But…” Tsuna bit his lip and looked down at the ground. 

“Enough about this,” Xanxus said, sensing that Tsuna wasn’t very far from breaking down in tears. “You don’t have lessons this afternoon so let’s not waste that time, hm?” He took Tsuna by the hand and led him off quickly before Tsuna could get any more worked up. Yamamoto rose silently to his feet and followed them.


	2. Hot Springs and Dinner

By the time Tsuna had all but collapsed into an exhausted heap on the ground, he was filthy, sported a handful of scuffs and had, somehow, gotten dirt in his hair. Xanxus wasn’t much better, though he hadn’t managed to trip on anything like Tsuna had, he managed to bang his knee into a rock hidden in the grass. The two of them were a sight to behold and Xanxus didn’t bother sneaking around once their play was over. 

Half the fun was seeing the horrified servants and lesser nobles, after all. Xanxus would never conform to the poise and culture sought after by some members of the court and he aimed to teach Tsuna that life was more enjoyable to live when you allowed yourself to live it- even if that meant sometimes you fell and scraped up your palms.

He carried Tsuna under his arm, the boy’s arms and legs swinging as he sang some child’s tune, swinging the small stick he still held back and forth. Yamamoto followed behind them, silent and smiling, almost unobtrusive except for his ever-present calm aura. Xanxus mostly ignored him in favor of tending to Tsuna.

Xanxus led their group to the baths near the back of the palace, where the stone of the mountain had been cut away to open up a natural spring that formed there. He stepped into the building attached to the bathing area and set Tsuna down. “Shall we have a nice soak before dinner, Tsuna?”

Tsuna beamed, “Yes!” He abandoned his stick and began to shed his clothing. “Mama says we have to wash before we go in the spring to keep it clean and all the salts good.”

“Your Mama is right,” Xanxus said. “I’m sure there’s a tub just outside the door already ready for you and I to clean off first.” He also began to remove his clothing and then glanced at Yamamoto, “You can join us if you like, Yamamoto.”

Yamamoto tilted his head to the side, “It is a hot spring, yes?”

“It is.”

“I’ve never been in a hot spring before.”

Tsuna gasped, “Never? Never _ever?”_

“Never ever,” Yamamoto said. 

“Well, then you really ought to!” Tsuna said, “It makes all the things that hurt stop hurting and Mama says this one has such good salts that you feel so healthy and good afterward and it’s great for the skin! You should try it, Yamamoto-san, you should!”

“If you insist,” Yamamoto smiled, “It does sound very good.”

Tsuna stripped down to his small clothes, dashed out through the door, “I’m going to be the first one in!”

Xanxus laughed, shaking his head. He hung up his clothes over a rack nearby, spied Tsuna’s left on the floor but he let them be. “You can be as naked as you’re comfortable within the hot spring,” Xanxus said, “At this time of day it’s likely to not be in use by others and there will be something to change into afterward.”

He watched as Yamamoto looked down at himself, plucking at the collar to his yukata. “I will get my clothes back?”

“After they’re washed,” Xanxus said, “You have rooms here, right? They’ll be taken there.”

“I was told that my rooms would be moved closer to yours once you returned and I was given to your service,” Yamamoto said, “So I do not know where they are yet, but I do have them.”

“Good enough,” Xanxus said. He pulled the last of his clothing off and set it aside. Now naked, he was able to do a better check of the injury to his knee. It ached and it was certainly turning purple, but he didn’t suffer a limp and it would heal in time. He gave one last glance to Yamamoto, who was untying his clothes in order to undress, and nodded to himself. 

“There’s tubs of water to rinse off with before you get in,” Xanxus said, “You’ll spot them right beside the door.” He heard some wood thunk against stone outside, as well as Tsuna’s voice cry out, “Oops!” and then sighed. “Well, there should be tubs of water there. If Tsuna doesn’t spill it all.”

“He’s a bit clumsy for a child, isn’t he?” Yamamoto asked.

“Hell if I know,” Xanxus said, “He’s the only child I spend time around.” He shrugged and headed to the door, “Tsuna? Are you having trouble out there?”

“Noooo,” Tsuna called back.

Xanxus sighed. He pushed open the door, completely unsurprised to find that the paving stones were slick with water. “Tsuna, what happened?”

“It got heavy, uncle,” Tsuna mumbled, looking down at the wooden bucket he held in his hands, “I had it all the way full and was pulling it out and some of it spilled.”

He held out the bucket which had, at most, an inch of water in the bottom. Xanxus snorted and ruffled Tsuna’s hair. “Let me help you.” 

Tsuna beamed at him. “Thank you, uncle!”

Xanxus filled the bucket from the larger tub and lifted it out. It wasn’t difficult to wash Tsuna off, as he was far more obedient at his age than Xanxus ever remembered being, and held still when Xanxus poured the cold water over him to clean the grime off. Of course, because he was so cooperative, he was quickly free to escape into the hot spring and he rushed off as soon as Xanxus gave him the go-ahead.

Filling the bucket up for himself, Xanxus glanced up at the feeling of someone watching him.

It was Yamamoto, standing just to the side of the door, holding his sheathed sword in one hand and wearing nothing else. Xanxus met his gaze, saw his ever-present smile, and then dropped his eyes down the length of his body. You could tell a lot from the way a swordsman looked under his clothes; if there had scars, if they were in many places or a few, if he had gotten tattoos, if he neglected some muscles in favor of others, if his hair was the same color below as above- things like that. Xanxus had seen plenty of bodies, living and dead, male and some female, and wasn’t altogether surprised at what he saw for Yamamoto.

He had two visible scars; one on his chin and one on his leg. The former was clearly from some cut, the latter was circular like a bite mark. 

Xanxus had not thought Yamamoto was a very experienced swordsman, considering he had no master and practiced an unknown style from an unknown lineage from a town known only because it had a decent port and access to a large river system. From the look of him, Xanxus didn’t think he had a lot of experience in actual battle. He surely had a thinness to him that spoke of many days traveling and not always being able to eat his fill, but his skin was relatively unblemished. 

Xanxus, on the other hand, was not quite so unmarred. 

He dumped water over his head, over his back and shoulders and washed his hands and feet, removing the grime from the road and from the roughhousing with Tsuna. Yamamoto stayed where he was, watching, waiting his turn.

Xanxus snorted to himself, he could see what Gokudera meant by him being a dog. Yamamoto certainly had the air of a very well trained guard dog, though whether he had any bite at all still remained to be seen. He left the tub of water and the bucket beside it when he was finished, turning and walking to the hot spring. 

Tsuna was floating in the middle of the water on his back, a big grin on his face. Xanxus rolled his eyes and stepped down into the water, letting out a hiss between his teeth. It was always hotter than he remembered it being.

He moved around the edge, careful not to bother Tsuna’s peaceful floating, and found his favorite spot against the rocks, where the side was low enough that he was submerged down to his shoulders. He leaned back, resting the back of his head on some rock that seemed almost perfectly shaped to rest against, and sighed deeply. 

This spring was the number one reason why Xanxus came back home. He loved his family. He liked his home. He enjoyed the way he was treated and taken care of here. He always felt safe when he was home.

But this spring was the reason he would always, _always_ return.

No other spring he’d ever been to was as comfortable as this one.

There was the ripple of water; a hissing intake of breath.

Xanxus opened one eye to see Yamamoto stepping down into the water. He held his sword still, keeping it out of the water as he made his way through it to another one of the semi-carved seats. He sat down, wincing visibly as he submerged himself to his chest and leaned back. He set his blade down behind him on the stone and eased his arms down into the water.

“Too hot?” Xanxus asked.

“Almost,” Yamamoto said, “My hands are used to this heat, but my legs are not.”

“Your hands?”

“I helped my father with the restaurant while I was there,” Yamamoto said, “He had me cleaning and preparing the rice most days.”

“Ah,” Xanxus said. He had little experience making food himself, but he’d seen it prepared often enough to understand. He closed his eye again, “You’ll get used to it.”

“That’s what I have always been told,” Yamamoto said.

Xanxus said nothing in reply. He simply relaxed into the water, letting the heat and those ‘good salts’ as Tsuna put it, work wonders on the aches of his body. He loved riding but it wasn’t always the easiest way to travel. It had to be better than walking from town to town on foot, though, so he was sure that Yamamoto was feeling better himself.

Although, Xanxus had to wonder-

“When did you arrive at the palace?” Xanxus asked. 

“Ten days ago.”

“And no one told you of the hot spring that whole time?” 

“I have been restricted access to lower portions of the palace and the mountain,” Yamamoto said. “I did not get my audience until five days ago, at which time I was moved from general rented lodging in the main town and into the lesser halls. I have not been in this part of the palace until I was in your care.”

“Then welcome to the life of luxury, Yamamoto, enjoy it while it lasts.”

Still floating in the water in front of them, Tsuna suddenly turned and sank. He got his feet under himself and stood up. He shook water from his head and then waded over to where Xanxus was. “Uncle? I was just thinking, what did you get me for my birthday? You never said.”

“That’s because it’s a surprise,” Xanxus said. “You don’t want to ruin the surprise, do you?”

“But I want to _know,”_ Tsuna whined. He clutched his hands together, “Please tell me! I want to know now!”

Xanxus laughed. He reached out and ruffled Tsuna’s hair. “Beg all you like, kid, but I’m not telling you. Your birthday is tomorrow so you’ll find out then. You need to be patient.”

“But I’ve been patient all year for my birthday,” Tsuna said, “Why do I have to wait another day?”

“I don’t even have your present with me right now,” Xanxus said, “So I couldn’t show it to you anyway.”

“But you could tell me-”

“Tell you what?”

“What my present is!” 

Xanxus blinked innocently, “Your present? Why are you getting presents?”

“Uncle!” Tsuna dragged his hands down his face, “You just said! It’s my birthday tomorrow! So I get presents!”

“Oh really?” Xanxus looked shocked, “That’s wonderful news. Hopefully, everyone gives you good presents. Do you want me to get you one too?”

“But you said you had one already!”

“Did I?” Xanxus put his hand to his chest.

“You’re just teasing me, aren’t you?” Tsuna pouted, “You got me a present already! You said so!”

Xanxus chuckled, “You’ll get it tomorrow, Tsuna. I promise.”

Still pouting, Tsuna crouched down into the water until his chin touched the surface of it, “But I want to know right now…”

“We all want things right now that we have to wait to get,” Xanxus said, “For instance, I’m already imagining the wine I’ll be drinking tonight but I can’t have it right now. Just enjoy looking forward to your birthday, Tsuna. After a while, everyone will think you’re too old to celebrate it and stop getting you things.”

Tsuna’s eyes widened, “What? Really?”

Xanxus nodded. He scratched his cheek and added, “Unless you’re a king or a lord, I suppose. Kings and lords and leaders get presents still because people want to win their favor. Why, I think the last present I got was five years ago.” 

Squalo had never forgotten to get him something for his birthday, even if it wasn’t much. 

Tsuna sank down deeper in the water and blew unhappy bubbles. Xanxus sighed, “If you’re feeling bad because you didn’t get anything for me, I would like to remind you that five years ago, you were three years old. Three-year-olds don’t give anybody presents. It’s toddler law.”

The door to the bathhouse slid open almost silently. Xanxus looked up, not altogether surprised to see Reborn step out, fully dressed. “Little Master,” Reborn called, “There you are.”

There was a shift of movement to the side and Xanxus glanced over to see Yamamoto had shifted how he sat in the water, one arm along the stone, with his hand behind his head and one leg slightly bent. He was watching Reborn with an intense look but his customary smile.

_Well he’s got good instincts at least,_ Xanxus thought. 

Tsuna had turned around, “Reborn!” he exclaimed. He waded through the water to the side, “Were you looking for me?”

“I was,” Reborn said.

“I’ve been with Uncle Xanxus since my meditation time! Sensei said I did well this morning so I could have the afternoon off! Because tomorrow is my birthday!” He excitedly waved his arms as he spoke, “We were playing earlier together, and then when we got tired we came here to re-ju-ven-ate!” He stumbled a little over that last word but managed it and then beamed up at Reborn.

“That sounds very exciting,” Reborn said, “Are you done rejuvenating, Little Master? It’s going to be dinner soon and you will need to dry off and get dressed. Your mother would like to see you before dinner starts.”

“She does?” Tsuna asked. He started moving to the edge of the pool.

“She does,” Reborn assured him.

“Okay!” Tsuna said. He climbed out, shaking himself off like a dog. Xanxus chuckled while Reborn lifted up one arm so his sleeve caught the droplets instead of his face. Slightly dried off, he waved enthusiastically at Xanxus. “Bye Uncle! Bye Yamamoto-san!”

“See you at dinner,” Xanxus said with a little wave.

Tsuna ran back into the bathhouse. Reborn gave Xanxus a little bow; his eyes, however, were on Yamamoto. “Please excuse me.”

Xanxus waved his hand dismissively. Reborn backed away a few steps and then turned and went into the bathhouse. Xanxus leaned his head back against the stone, sighing as he relaxed. 

He felt the ripples of water as Yamamoto shifted again, most likely to a more relaxed position as well. 

“Haven’t met Reborn yet, have you?” Xanxus asked.

There was a moment of silence and then Yamamoto said, “That is the first time he has shown himself to me directly.”

Xanxus considered that phrase, parsing out the meaning behind the words. “So you’ve noticed him before now.”

“I had, yes.”

“Well, now I want to know if he was actively hiding from you or not,” Xanxus said. If Reborn had been his usual lurking self that was one thing, but if he’d been actively hiding from Yamamoto’s notice and Yamamoto still noticed him… “Have you had any experience with that kind of person before?”

More silence, longer this time, and then a simple answer. “Yes.”

_Interesting. Was the chef father a cover for a bloodier history? Or does he appear younger than he is and simply omitted some of his past training?_

_Or does he simply have an interesting story to tell and it’s merely coincidence he’s met a shinobi before?_

“You’ll have to tell me about it sometime,” Xanxus said as he sat up. He stretched his arms out over his head, popping bones in his back and letting out a deep sigh. “For now, we should go and dry off. Dinner will be soon and I’m quite starved.”

He waded through the pool, reaching the shallower end and climbing out. The air was cold on his skin, goosebumps rising across his body as he stepped out. He heard Yamamoto following him, the rippling of water, the soft clink of metal as he picked his sword back up. 

Still dripping with spring water, Xanxus went into the bathhouse. He toweled off, humming absently under his breath, and then slid on the fresh clothing that had been laid out for him. 

“We’ll have to go change again,” Xanxus said, “To be presentable for dinner. I don’t particularly care how I look in front of my brother, but I do like his wife enough to not cause her trouble.” He paused and then smirked at Yamamoto, “Well, not too much trouble anyway. I do have something I’d like to do tonight.”

Yamamoto smiled at him, “Will you need assistance in that?”

“I couldn’t do it without you,” Xanxus said. 

“What do you need me to do?”

“Dinner is always a boring affair,” Xanxus said, “We have our individual places to eat, of course, and in Grandfather’s great big dining hall so we can be together as one happy family. You’ll be seated at my table, beside me. Don’t let them usher you anywhere else, understand?”

“I do,” Yamamoto said. 

“Excellent.” 

Xanxus smoothed his hands over the front of his yukata and said, “Let’s go discover where they put your room, hm?” He then headed out of the bathhouse on the house side, Yamamoto following behind. 

* * *

As Xanxus approached the doors to the dining hall, he made eye contact with the servant there and smirked. The servant’s eyes widened and hurriedly looked to their companion at the other door. 

Xanxus did not slow down. His quick stride brought him closer and he watched as they frantically pulled the door open. Before he could be properly announced, Xanxus swept through the doors, Yamamoto at his heels, and entered the dining hall. They were a little late, though the meal had not started yet, and Xanxus headed for his place on Grandfather’s left. 

Iemitsu, Nana, and Tsuna sat opposite him, on the other side of the hall, with Tsuna sitting at his mother’s table. After some space, there were placements for some of the higher-ranked nobles and guests of the court. It was a bit unusual to have so many in attendance just for dinner, but Tsuna’s birthday was tomorrow and he was Grandfather’s favorite. 

Xanxus went to his table and motioned over a servant from the side. Bowing, they hurried over to him, “Yes, Master Xanxus?”

“Why is there only one placement at my table?” Xanxus said, “Is my companion supposed to sit and watch me eat without him?”

“My apologies, Master,” The servant bowed again, more deeply, “We’ll correct this right away.”

“Hurry up with it,” Xanxus said. He scowled at them as they took off and then turned to his table and stood there behind his own placement. Yamamoto, with that simple smile of his, stood beside him, his hands tucked into his sleeves while he waited.

“Xanxus,” Iemitsu called from the other side of the room, “What trouble are you causing now?”

“Trouble?” Xanxus arched an eyebrow, “I have caused no such thing. I merely corrected an oversight.”

“This companion of yours appears to be the guard that Grandfather gave you this morning,” Iemitsu said with an amused expression, “I thought you were displeased with the assignment.”

A trio of servants quickly arrived, bowing and providing a seat for Yamamoto as well as dishes, quickly rearranging the setup on the table to accommodate the addition. Xanxus sat down once they had hurried away, getting comfortable at the table with one knee up while Yamamoto sat cross-legged beside him. 

Before he could reply to Iemitsu, however, Grandfather opened his eyes and began the meal. Here, Xanxus did obey tradition and waited until Grandfather began to eat before he did. He started with pouring himself wine to drink and then some for Yamamoto as well. 

“It is good to see that you have changed your mind about your guard,” Nana said with a bright smile, “I’m sure he will be diligent in protecting you from harm, Xanxus.”

“What brought about this change of heart?” Iemitsu asked curiously, “Surely there must be a reason why you’re so considerate to your newest guard.” He looked pointedly to the wine bottle on the table. 

“What can I say?” Xanxus said, “He is a simple man but he has his charms.” He turned to look at Yamamoto as if considering him for the first time. He sipped from his cup, savoring the wine for a moment before adding with a smirk, “At least this time Grandfather gave me someone halfway decent looking to follow me about. For a man of such low birth, he does clean up and wear these silks well.”

Yamamoto smiled brightly at him, not in the least perturbed by the attention. Or at least not visibly so. He had been eating throughout all of this conversation and while he didn’t have the manners of someone noble born and raised as, say, Nana did, he didn’t eat messily like a peasant either. 

Iemitsu gave a little sigh, “Xanxus, you do not intend to scare another one of your guards off with such antics, do you? Simple as Yamamoto-san is, he may not understand what you are suggesting. You could spare the rest of us watching you humiliate the poor man, couldn’t you?”

“I have no idea what you’re speaking about,” Xanxus said, looking back to his elder brother.

He saw his brother and sister-in-law exchange a look between the two of them but ignored that. Instead, he leaned over towards Yamamoto, speaking in an undertone, “Share your meat with me, Yamamoto.” He held out his chopsticks.

“If you like,” Yamamoto said with a smile. He picked up the dish and offered it to Xanxus, who picked out a good slice and put it in his mouth. “May I have one of your dumplings?” he asked.

Xanxus arched an eyebrow at him, amused at the counter, and nudged the plate closer to Yamamoto. As he watched Yamamoto choose one and pop it into his mouth, he wondered if Iemitsu was actually correct. Was Yamamoto simple enough to not understand what was going on?

Sure, he was low born, but the implications of a shared table, of shared food, of Xanxus pouring his drink, these things couldn't just go over his head. The blurring of the line between a guard and his master was often enough to get a guard reassigned elsewhere, if not suffer some other punishment. It was a line Xanxus had smudged before, in order to get Grandfather to remove an unwanted guard. Xanxus didn’t look to his grandfather to see if he noticed what was going on. There was no way he was not blind to this.

Though he might suffer through it if Xanxus was unable to make Yamamoto actually react appropriately. 

“More wine?” Xanxus asked.

“Please,” Yamamoto said. 

“How was your latest trip, Xanxus?” Iemitsu asked after a while, “You headed down to the grey marshland, didn’t you?”

“I did,” Xanxus said. “As I suspected from the messages we received out of the area, there was a great ghoul that had surfaced with the change in the weather. It took some time to locate the creature, but once I managed it, defeating it was a simple matter.”

Iemitsu visibly shuddered, “A ghoul. What a horrific thing. At least it wasn’t a demon that had taken over the area. Such a thing would have surely done more damage than consuming a peasant or two every few days.”

“That depends on the type of demon,” Xanxus said, “The ghoul’s territory was relatively small considering the entire size of the marsh and I’d like to return in the spring to make sure there are not others that were hibernating deep in the water. It was because it was so close to a smaller village that the missing people were so quickly noticed. If it had been more intelligent and chosen somewhere closer to a higher population, it might have had more time to amass strength before becoming a problem.”

He absently picked up a dumpling, dipping it in a sauce as he said, “A demon is generally more intelligent than a ghoul, so one in a similar location might have been more careful about who it took. The whole village could have gone missing before anyone from outside of it knew there was anything wrong. And such a demon would have been more difficult to track down and kill.”

Iemitsu nodded along with his words, “I will always be impressed with your knowledge of the creatures,” he said, “I worry about you traveling to fight demons, but at least you do not walk in ignorance.”

“Haha,” Yamamoto laughed softly, lifting his cup to his lips. Xanxus glanced at him from the corner of his eye but saw nothing unusual on his face. Just that simple smile and dark, watchful eyes. 

Iemitsu might not have heard Yamamoto, but he still turned his head to look at him, “Have you encountered demons before, Yamamoto-san?”

Yamamoto lowered his cup, “Yes. I have.”

Iemitsu waited a moment in expectant silence before prompting, “Well? What happened? How did you escape it? Or did you defeat it?”

“It died,” Yamamoto said.

Iemitsu sighed, shoulders sagging, “Your _companion_ is too simple, Xanxus. Can he tell a story or not? One does not just walk up to a demon, behead it, and be done!”

Xanxus chuckled. “I never said I was keeping him for how he speaks. There are other ways one uses their mouth, Iemitsu.”

That one, Xanxus noted, made Yamamoto’s hands pause as he reached for his rice. Only for a moment, only for the barest second of hesitation. But it was there. Good. So he _was_ noticing. 

Hopefully, Xanxus could make him uncomfortable enough to leave of his own free will. The sooner the better.

Iemitsu, on the other hand, waved his hand at Xanxus, “Enough of that, not in front of my poor son,” he said, “We were talking about slaying demons, not other unmentionable things.”

“I’m afraid I must decline in telling my story,” Yamamoto said with a little bow of his head, “I believe it would only upset Tsuna and I’ve been warned not to do so on pain of death.” He smiled brightly, “I would like to keep my head attached to my body. I’m sure Xanxus will find me more useful to him if I'm alive.”

Xanxus first looked at Tsuna who, he now noticed, was close to his mother’s side, barely picking at his food and looking somewhat distraught. And then his brain caught up with the second half of Yamamoto’s words and he had to very carefully remember not to spit out his wine but to swallow it.

For the first time, Xanxus wondered if, perhaps, he might actually like to keep Yamamoto around. At least for a little while. Surely Grandfather would take him away if Xanxus actually stepped over that line of decency, but before he did, Xanxus could make a lot of use out of Yamamoto.

After all, he really was quite easy on the eyes. 

“Then you will have to tell us later,” Xanxus said, “Or at the very least you will tell me, Yamamoto.”

“If you like,” Yamamoto said, “Then I will tell you.”

“Perhaps you have stories unrelated to demons?” Nana asked.

“Some,” Yamamoto said, “Many fisherman’s tales and fishwife gossip from Yoshiba, where I grew up, but they are old stories by now. I have not been there for some time.”

“Yoshiba is quite an interesting place,” Iemitsu said, “It’s growing quite rapidly lately, lots of trade coming up the rivers from there.”

Nana, of course, made an interested noise and Iemitsu launched into the economic efforts of Yoshiba and the surrounding territories. Xanxus sighed and settled in to listen idly as he continued to eat. He glanced over to make sure Tsuna was all right and saw him sitting forward again, eating once more. 

He always seemed to forget that the kid was so soft-hearted, just like his mother. Iemitsu loved the gory stories of demon fights, just as he liked the stories of battle, but Nana and Tsuna didn’t share that interest. Xanxus himself got caught up in it, not simply recounting the battles but the information he learned. There was so little true information about demons he felt somewhat compelled to document it in some way so that when he could no longer face a demon in battle, the information could help others for him.

“Xanxus,” Yamamoto murmured, leaning into his space. He held the shallow bowl with meat in it out. There was a single piece left in it, a fairly decently sized one too, “In exchange for your last dumpling?”

Xanxus huffed in amusement and took the piece. As he chewed it, he offered the last dumpling to Yamamoto, who smiled brightly as he took it. Swallowing, Xanxus said, “Do you not like meat?”

“I prefer dumplings to red meat,” Yamamoto said as he held the dumpling in his chopsticks, “And fish to dumplings.” He popped it in his mouth and hummed happily as he chewed.

“Perhaps we should go down to Yoshiba,” Xanxus found himself saying, “To try this sushi your father makes.”

Again, Yamamoto paused, this time in reaching for his wine. His head turned slightly towards Xanxus, a strange look in his eyes as he looked at him. “If you like,” Yamamoto said, “I will take you there.”

“If I have no business come up elsewhere,” Xanxus said, “Then we will make our way down and take care of anything that comes up along the way.”

Yamamoto smiled at him and sipped his wine.


	3. Childhood Demons

The day’s worth of activity had finally started to catch up with Xanxus as he treads down the hallway to his rooms. Even the soak in the spring couldn’t keep the exhaustion creeping up on him now that he had enjoyed a good meal and fine wine. His thoughts were swirling around the conversation at dinner and the small things he’d noticed about Yamamoto: his willingness to share his food, his responses to Xanxus’s flirtatious comments, his awareness of Tsuna’s comfort with the topic, how he ate and drank and smiled and listened and rarely spoke up if not first addressed by another.

Xanxus did not know him well enough to know if that was simply Yamamoto’s way if he was just a quiet man who preferred to listen rather than speak, but he had determined one thing. Yamamoto was no simple man. Simple may his needs be, but wasn’t that true of everyone? All one truly needed was food, shelter, and the comfort of companionship to be happy in life. 

And though he may act simple with that constant smile and mild manner, there was a blade hidden in his mind. One that Xanxus had felt the metal of tonight, though he had not seen its sharpness. Yamamoto was attentive in that particular way that someone who had survived dangerous things because of that attentiveness was. Not in the paranoid and frantic way that Gokudera often exhibited, but someone who did not trust others to think of their safety first and foremost.

Xanxus slowed his steps and then said, “Yamamoto, walk beside me.”

Wordlessly, Yamamoto closed the distance and stepped up to his left side. He inclined his head slightly when he came abreast of Xanxus and kept pace with him as Xanxus walked. 

“Tonight,” he said, “You will share that story of your encounter with a demon with me.”

“As you like,” Yamamoto said cheerfully, “I’ll consider my words carefully, to tell a good story.”

Xanxus snorted, “I don’t care how well the story is told. I care about the truth of it. Information on demons means nothing to me if it isn’t true.”

“Then I will give an account to the best of my memory,” Yamamoto said.

They turned around a corner in the hallway and Xanxus saw a servant approaching from the other side. The man stopped in front of them, bowing deeply, and Xanxus stopped with a sigh. What was it now? He was too tired for all of this.

“Master Xanxus,” the servant said, “Master Iemitsu has extended an invitation for you to join him this evening if you are available for conversation.”

“I’m not,” Xanxus said, “Tell him I’ll converse with him tomorrow.”

“Yes, Master,” the servant bobbed a little in their bow and then turned to the side to clear his path. Xanxus walked past the servant. He was almost to his rooms now. 

A pair of servants opened the doors for him to his wing, bowing as he passed. Xanxus continued along, not going right for his bedroom but for one of the side rooms so that he and Yamamoto could speak. This door was also opened for him and as he went in, he said to the servant, “Bring us some wine.” 

“Yes, Master.” They backed away, closing the door.

Xanxus settled down on the cushions set out next to a low table. The room was lit with a few lanterns and was finely decorated, according to Grandfather’s tastes. Xanxus had little interest in the design of such rooms. All that mattered was that it was a private place to sit and talk.

Well, relatively private.

Yamamoto sat across the small table from him, folding his legs underneath himself and adjusting the position of his sword so it was easy to draw even in this position. Then he rested his hands in his lap and smiled at Xanxus, expectantly.

Xanxus waited for the wine to be brought, sitting in silence until the servant returned with the bottle and dishes they needed. They bowed, presented the drink, and then left again. As they reached the door, Xanxus said, “I won’t be needing anything else tonight. So you and the others are to leave my suite.”

He put an edge to his words. If they knew what was good for them, they would not linger nearby to listen in and keep an eye on him.

The servant bowed in acknowledgment and left. 

Xanxus reached out and poured the wine. “You once met a demon?”

Yamamoto smiled, “I have met a few.”

There was a pause wherein Xanxus raised an eyebrow at him. “If I have to pull every line from you in order to hear this story…” he let his words trail off, carrying the weight of his annoyance.

“Forgive me,” Yamamoto said, “I am not good at telling stories.” He sipped at his wine, his gaze dropping down to the table, “And this one is not easy to tell.”

Xanxus nodded and settled back. He had his left knee up again, resting his elbow on it with his fingers curled around his cup. “Then pick your words and take your time, Yamamoto. But I will hear your words.”

Yamamoto inclined his head. There was some more silence. Xanxus finished his first cup and refilled both his and Yamamoto’s during that time. 

Eventually, Yamamoto looked up again, smiling slightly, and spoke.

* * *

> “There was a well at the north end of my hometown that no one used.”

Takeshi could still see this well when he closed his eyes and thought about it. Someone had dug it deep into the earth and put stones about the edges to keep people from falling in. It had boards on top of it with large stones on top of them. It had always looked that way, for as long as he could remember.

> “Even when a drought made the river so shallow it had turned to mud, no one used this well. We children were warned to stay away from it, lest we fall inside and drown. For the most part, we listened to what we were told, but there was one boy who was always trying to make trouble.”

Takeshi could remember him, too. He’d been a bit older than Takeshi, skinny and tanned from so much time spent outside. He was rambunctious and always causing trouble around the town. He was skilled in escaping from being caught and grinned through whatever scolding or lashing he got. He always wore the same clothing, even in the dead of winter, and didn’t seem to be afraid of anything that the other kids were scared of.

Sometimes he would come around the back of the shop when Takeshi’s father was closing up for the night and his father would give the boy a wrapped bundle. 

Takeshi was supposed to be helping clean up during this time, but his father wasn’t really hiding what he was doing and so Takeshi saw. He knew there was food in that bundle; food uneaten from the restaurant for one reason or another. 

The only time Takeshi saw that boy be polite was when his father gave him that bundle. He bowed low every time and thanked him formally.

And he never caused trouble at the restaurant.

> “One year, we were playing nearby when he looked up and over at the well and decided that he’d like to see what was inside. The other kids were afraid and wouldn’t join him but when he asked me, I said I would go look with him. It was just a well. All there would be at the bottom is water.”
> 
> Takeshi pauses to drink from his cup. He doesn’t hold the cup too tight; his voice doesn’t shake; he can keep up his smile and make eye contact with Xanxus. But his throat keeps going dry as he talks. It’s been a long time since he talked about this, but the longer he goes, the more easily it comes out.
> 
> “Together we were able to push the stones from the top of the board. However, the other kids had run off and someone heard about what we were doing. Adults came and stopped us. I was taken back to my father to be punished by him. The other boy’s parents were gone, so it was the village leader who punished him.”

His face was bruised. So were his arms and legs. They had beaten him worse for this than they had beaten him for anything else before. 

When Takeshi next saw him, beaten as badly as he was, he also saw the glint in his eyes. 

If they had really wanted to stop him from opening the well, they had made the wrong choice.

(Takeshi himself had been put to work harder at the restaurant- if there was time for him to cause trouble, there was time for him to work, or so his father had said.)

> “Several days later, a woman came to speak to my father at the restaurant. It was late and I was helping him clean up. She asked if we had seen that boy. She said she knew that he sometimes came to our restaurant to get food because he would go into her shed to sleep out of the cold and he would share some food in exchange for the space. 
> 
> “Father told her we hadn’t seen him for a few days. She said that no one had and she was worried he might have finally left the village. Father said he would keep an eye out for him. He later asked me if I had seen him and I told him I hadn’t, which was true. I had not seen him.
> 
> “But I knew where he was.”

_“Come look with me, Takeshi,”_ he had said, that glint bright in his eye, even with how swollen it was from his beating. _“They don’t want us to see what’s down there so it has to be important. Maybe they’re hiding a body! Or treasure!”_

But Takeshi was exhausted these days. His father was really making him work hard and he didn’t have time to play as much anymore. Besides, the boy wanted to go look at night, and it would be too dark to see anything if he did. Takeshi said no and the boy had scowled at him and left without a backward glance.

> “I woke up early the next morning, even before my father, and I went to the well. It looked almost the same as it always did, three heavy stones on top of thick wooden boards that covered the whole top. I walked around it a few times, trying to work up the courage to look inside. I had to be quick because people were going to get up soon and I was sure if I was caught there again, I’d get a beating as badly as he had.” 

Xanxus refills his wine. He watches Takeshi with a focused sort of intensity, though Takeshi is sure that his story is not well told. He is sure he is missing lots of information that might be important and he’s talking too much about the boy and not enough about the demon. 

Takeshi drinks his wine and licks his lips and continues to speak, a smile on his face despite everything else.

> “Eventually I convinced myself to do it. I pushed the rocks off the wood onto the ground beside it. As I gripped the wooden boards, I heard a voice calling out to me. To _me._ It said my name, soft and weak and somehow echoing.
> 
> “I pushed the wooden boards and looked down into the well. It was dark, of course. The sun hadn’t really started to rise, so there was barely enough to see by. The well had a strange smell to it. There was stagnant water and something earthy, like mud or deep dirt. And there was something else I didn’t really recognize. 
> 
> “I wanted to see better so I leaned farther over, trying to look into the darkness, trying to see what was down there. I was convinced I’d see him down there in the water, maybe floating and drowned, maybe just with a broken leg if he fell in and it wasn’t too deep, maybe he was just stuck there because the walls were slick and he couldn’t climb out without a rope. But I couldn’t see him.”

There was more water down there than he had expected. It looked darker than well-water was supposed to, but he had told himself that was the shadows because there wasn’t enough light. All the hair stood on the back of his arms and neck and yet Takeshi couldn’t pull himself back. He didn’t think about getting a torch or a candle or giving up. He’d just stood there, frozen, looking into the darkness.

There was something in the water. It took him a minute or two to finally see it, eyes adjusting so slowly.

It was a pale arm.

> “I saw something move in the water. It was pale and at first I thought it must be some sort of fish, like the ones in caves my father had told me about. They were blind and white because there was no sunlight there. This was pale like that. 
> 
> “But it wasn’t a fish. It was a hand and an arm and it moved from side to side in the water, like it was trying to wave and catch my attention. And then I heard it again. That voice calling my name from the bottom of the well.
> 
> “Next to the arm was the boy’s face, just poking out of the water. He was calling my name, over and over and over but he’d never said my name like that before. When I called out to him, he switched from saying my name to asking me to help him get out. He wasn’t able to keep swimming. He was going to drown. He needed my help.
> 
> “And he kept waving at me with this arm that wasn’t his arm.”

The arm wasn’t the only strange thing. At the time, Takeshi didn’t really notice it, but looking back at his memories it was clear. There was too much hair. The boy had had short hair, like Takeshi, but this face in the water had long hair floating around it. Long, dark hair drifting like seaweed from the bay. 

It was what made the well-water so dark looking.

> “When I told him I’d go get a rope, he said not to go and leave him. He said he’d die if I didn’t go right down there immediately. But I’ve never been as good a climber as him and so I told him that if he couldn’t climb up on his own, there would be no way I could climb up with him on my back. I had to get a rope.
> 
> “So I turned away from the well, but I left the top of it open.”

The sound it had made as it left the water…

> “I only got about ten or twenty feet away before I heard this sloshing sound on the ground behind me. It was like water splashing onto the ground from an over-filled bucket being carried badly. It was such a normal sound but I froze in my tracks. When I turned around this _thing_ had crawled out of the well.
> 
> “Its body was pale and wrinkled and instead of having legs it just had arms, several of them, thin and just about as white as bone and so long. It had something like hair but it looked like seaweed, rubbery and sort of green and wide. But instead of a monster’s face it had his face. The boy. It wore his tan face.”

Takeshi couldn’t remember his name anymore. He’d forgotten it, somehow, and it felt wrong but he _couldn’t remember_ his name. And after that morning he’d asked others about it and they couldn’t even remember who he was talking about.

Takeshi wished he could remember, but he knew he never would.

> “I couldn’t move. It pulled itself up and over the wall of the well, dripping with water and just staring at me with wide eyes. It spoke to me with his voice but it sounded wrong somehow, like it was mimicking him not really using his voice. It kept telling me that it was hurt and hungry, so hungry, and if I could just give it something to eat it would be so grateful. It would give me whatever I wanted if I just fed it something first.
> 
> “I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t say anything. I just watched it crawl over to me. It had these long fingers and the arms were so thin. I couldn’t look away from it, from the face of the boy. I knew it was hungry.
> 
> “And I knew that what it wanted to eat was me, but I couldn’t move.”

Takeshi had been so sure he would die. It would eat him and it would wear his face and then it would go and eat someone else and wear _their_ face and it would continue on and on forever until it had all the faces and there was no one else to eat.

And all he could think was how he hadn’t said anything to his father that morning. The last thing he’d said was “okay” to his father, obediently heading off to bed the night before. He hadn’t said he loved him. And now he was going to die.

> “I don’t know why it was moving so slowly. It just dragged itself across the dirt, leaving a wet trail, moving one hand at a time. I didn’t know at the time that such things can feed off of intangible things like fear or panic. I didn’t know I was already feeding it by standing there, locked in my fear. 
> 
> “And it would have eaten my body too if not for my father.”

Takeshi hadn’t heard the footsteps, but there had to have been some. His father was a tall man and a gentle one but he’d never been what Takeshi thought of as a quiet man. He’d been quick to smile and to talk to his customers and to other strangers. He told Takeshi stories he’d overheard and talked to him about how to do this or that, teaching him all the time both by showing and telling. 

But there had been no sound at all when Tsuyoshi appeared in Takeshi’s periphery. He had just suddenly _been there_ , one hand gripping a sheath of the sword Takeshi had seen plenty of times but never in his father’s hands, the sword he’d never seen out of its sheath. 

The sword that now gleamed in the early morning sunlight as Tsuyoshi charged at the creature from the well. 

> “It was the first time I ever saw him draw the sword that he kept. He was suddenly there, running past me and he drew it out of its sheath faster than I could see and split the creature in half. He stood in front of me as it screamed and died, the human face it had stolen breaking in half and falling off of its real face beneath. It hit the ground, black blood pouring out of its body.
> 
> “He went over and cut off its head before he did anything else. He kicked it away from the body and then looked at me and said to grab a torch. You can cut off their head and if they’re weak, that might be enough to kill them, he said, but if you can burn the body, you must.”

Takeshi stopped and took in a shuddering breath. He lifted his cup to his lips and drained it. He knew he was still smiling, he couldn’t help it much anymore. He set down the cup and finished his story. 

> “We burned the body and covered the well and then went home. I think he told the village elder later, but I wasn’t there for that. The next day he started to teach me our family’s style. That was the first demon I encountered.”

But it certainly wasn’t the last.

* * *

Xanxus considered Yamamoto thoughtfully. His words rang with a certain truth, but Xanxus still had his questions. “How old were you when this happened?”

“About eleven,” Yamamoto said. There was only the slightest shift in his posture and expression; a tension relaxed from his shoulders but there was sadness in his eyes. 

_The smiling,_ Xanxus thought to himself, _is incredibly disconcerting. But it must be a habit for him now. Is he even aware of his own expression or has he so thoroughly trained himself to always appear this way that it’s no longer a conscious decision?_

“If your father was capable of killing the creature in one blow, why didn’t he do so earlier?”

“He later told me that he had not known what was in the well. The demon had been driven down there a generation ago, before Father and Mother moved into town. He had been told that it was closed because someone had died there,” Yamamoto said. He looked down at his cup, held almost gingerly in his fingers. For a moment, Xanxus was sure that he’d say something like ‘If only he knew, then my friend would still be alive!’ but he did not.

“Is the sword you carry now the one that your father used to kill the demon?”

“No,” Yamamoto said, “This one was forged for me.”

“What was the boy’s name?”

“I don’t remember,” Yamamoto said, “No one can.”

“So it stole his name and his face,” Xanxus said, mostly to himself. He’d heard of that before. Such demons could be very dangerous indeed. 

Xanxus sipped his wine and then, quietly, asked his last question, “If the boy opened the well and went down into it himself, how was it sealed shut when you got there?” _If the demon crawled out of it so quickly to catch and eat Yamamoto, why not do the same earlier?_

Yamamoto’s smile turned sharp and his eyes were dark, “Who knows? No one saw anything about it, not the children who played there or the mothers who tended nearby homes or the men who walked past the well in order to work or the elders who sat out in the evening where they could see anyone who walked to or from where it was. After all this time, no one remembers the boy either. But they still fear the well. 

“And people are willing to do very terrible things when they are afraid for their homes and families.”

The implication was clear enough there. Xanxus sighed a little to himself. It wouldn’t be the first time that people thought sacrificing one person to a demon to save the rest of them would work. And it usually did, at least for a while. 

The trouble was demons were creatures who hungered. One life would never be enough for them. 

Xanxus finished the last of his wine and picked up the bottle. Feeling how light it was, he turned it from side to side, listening. _Ah. Empty. How unfortunate._

He set it back down and rubbed at the back of his neck, closing his eyes for a moment. It had been a long day and he was really feeling it now. “That’s enough for tonight,” he said, “It is time to sleep.”

Xanxus got a little unsteadily to his feet, exhaustion, and alcohol combining forces inside of him to make him sluggish. Across the table, Yamamoto also rose. After a moment, Xanxus felt confident enough that he could walk without stumbling and he headed for the door.

Instead of following behind him as he had for most of the day, Yamamoto walked on Xanxus’s left side again, maybe a half step behind, but definitely at his side. Xanxus snorted in amusement. He said nothing about it, though. After all, he had been the one to invite Yamamoto to be at his side and not trail behind. 

It did make him wonder a few things about Yamamoto. More questions slowly formed in the back of his mind as they walked in silence together. 

The servants were all dismissed and so Xanxus opened his own door and stepped into the room. He stopped at the threshold, hand on the door panel, and turned to look back at Yamamoto who still stood in the hallway. Yamamoto smiled warmly at him. His face had the slightest flush to it, just the barest display of drunkenness. 

This morning, Xanxus had seen this man kneeling before his grandfather and he had wanted nothing more to shed him like a tattered coat the moment he’d been stuck with him. It had only been the one day spent in Yamamoto’s company, and though they did not have the familiarity that he had had with Squalo and though Yamamoto would never be like Squalo in temperament, Xanxus had discovered something that surprised him. 

He rather enjoyed having the smiling swordsman as his shadow. Yamamoto had an indifference to social customs that Xanxus appreciated. Xanxus had been taught plenty of manners and proper types of behavior growing up and Squalo had as well; their actions had often been a direct rebellion of these things. He knew what it meant to others to treat Yamamoto the way he had been. He knew what it could do to Yamamoto’s reputation to have Grandfather remove him from a recently acquired position. He knew what his own reputation was like, having done this before, having pushed at guards until they broke the rules or abandoned him.

He didn’t care about his reputation in this regard. He’d rather his assigned guards be taken away from him alive and angry at him for his behavior than to see them cut in half at the end of some narrow street at the hands of a demon. 

And yet there was something about Yamamoto…

“Join me tonight,” Xanxus said to him, meeting his gaze and holding it. 

There was a shift in Yamamoto’s expression, his eyes moving past Xanxus to look into the room before going back to his face. He tipped his head to one side and asked, “Join you?”

“I sleep better with company,” Xanxus lied. “So join me.”

Then he turned his back on Yamamoto and walked into his room.

There was something about Yamamoto that told Xanxus he both didn’t know the way one should behave as a member of the noble caste and he didn’t care that he didn’t know. His indifference was true. It didn’t matter to him if he walked behind Xanxus or beside him. It didn’t matter if he sat and ate at Xanxus’s table or on his own. It didn’t matter if Xanxus shared wine with him or not. 

He was here in order to have his needs met; to have somewhere to rest and something to eat. 

Xanxus knew where the line was between them. He’d been raised to know where all the lines were, which made it easier to blur them or cross them. 

He didn’t think Yamamoto knew where those lines were, though. He couldn’t even be sure Yamamoto would care if he did.

Yamamoto had had no master before. He was a solitary swordsman, taught by a man of low-birth, being a man of low-birth himself. It was so clear to Xanxus that Yamamoto wouldn’t think of what something like shared space or shared food would mean in the eyes of others. 

He was indifferent- He was-

The door slid shut behind Xanxus. While in his thoughts he had walked over to his wardrobe and had begun to remove his outer layer of clothing. He hadn’t looked back at Yamamoto, letting his thoughts swirl around and around in his mind. They were a bit circular, true. He _had_ had quite a lot to drink this evening.

Xanxus glanced over, half expecting Yamamoto to have shut the door and left, half expecting him to be standing there, smiling and confused but obedient.

Instead, he saw Yamamoto silently pacing around the room, his hand resting on the sheath of his blade. Xanxus blinked and watched as Yamamoto walked the perimeter of the room and then stopped in front of a cloth-wrapped bundle that had been set on Xanxus’s dresser. He stared down at it.

“That’s Tsuna’s present,” Xanxus said. “Don’t mind it. It’s contained.”

Yamamoto turned towards him, smiling but with something chilling in his eyes. “It seems like a bit much for an eight-year-old boy. Especially one as gentle as he is.”

Xanxus snorted, “Why do you think I’m giving it to him? It’s clear enough he’ll never enjoy wielding a sword. Something needs to be there to protect him and he’s terrified of dogs.”

Yamamoto’s shoulders relaxed slightly and he let go of his sword. “As you say,” he murmured. And then he took the last few steps over to where Xanxus stood and just. Looked at him.

Xanxus had stripped down to his underclothes already and now slipped his undershirt off his shoulders. He would sleep too warm if he had both the shirt on and Yamamoto in his bed. He glanced at Yamamoto and asked in amusement, “You’re not going to wear all that to bed, are you?”

Yamamoto blinked once. “How much would you like me to take off?”

“All of it,” Xanxus said immediately.

Without another word, Yamamoto began to undress. 

Xanxus watched, eyes half-open, at the slow reveal of more and more skin. Despite the fact that he had already seen everything already earlier that day, the change in scenery and mood had turned this simple act into something intimate. Yamamoto’s hands were steady as he peeled off his outer layer of clothing, draping it beside where Xanxus had put his own. His sword he gently leaned against the side of the wardrobe Xanxus stood in front of. 

Cloth slid off of him as he untucked or untied it where appropriate until he stood surrounded by a pile of cloth, naked in front of Xanxus for the second time. 

For some reason, Xanxus found it hard to breathe steadily.

For some reason, Xanxus felt compelled to reach out and touch Yamamoto. 

Never one to deny himself pleasure, especially when intoxicated, he did so. His fingertips ghosted over Yamamoto’s cheek, touching the scar on his chin and then trailing down his neck to his collarbone. Yamamoto’s skin was warm and smooth. 

He let his hand rest against the side of Yamamoto’s neck. He could feel the steady beating of his heart under his fingertips. 

Quietly, Xanxus said, “If they find you in my bed like this, they will assume the worst of you, Yamamoto. You will be taken from my service after only having been in it for one day. Grandfather will be furious with you and you will be punished for your actions. You have no social favor, no connections here. Lashings will be the least of what you’ll have to suffer.”

Yamamoto said nothing, just smiled at him. 

Xanxus tilted his head to the side, “Will it be worth it for you? Will you obey me even when doing so means you will be hurt and your reputation ruined?”

“What reputation?” Yamamoto asked. “I am no one.”

Xanxus blinked at him. Then he snorted and shook his head. “If you were a smart man, you would put your clothes back on and leave this room. Blind obedience to my words will only get you tossed aside.”

“I am not blind,” Yamamoto said. His smile grew, “I am but a simple man, not a smart one.”

Xanxus felt strangely helpless. He had brought Yamamoto to this point and had expected, somehow, somewhere along the line, that he’d find something that would stop him, something that Yamamoto would shy away from. But that hadn’t happened. And now if he did this, if he brought this man into his bed, well Grandfather would take him away, wouldn’t he?

It wasn’t in Xanxus’s nature to back down. It wasn’t in his nature to push and push and then pull back at the last moment. It wasn’t in his nature to really regret his actions. If he started to doubt himself, started to feel regret over every little thing, he’d never be able to do the things he needed to do. 

Xanxus leaned in towards Yamamoto. He brought up his other hand, cupping the man’s face, his thumb running across his cheekbone. “What does a simple man want, once he is rested and fed?”

Yamamoto didn’t speak. Instead, he simply turned his head until Xanxus’s palm rested over his mouth. He watched Xanxus, saying nothing, his dark eyes half open and full of heat. 

“If I give you that,” Xanxus murmured, “They will do worse than lash your back.” 

He felt Yamamoto’s smile against his palm. There wasn’t any fear in his expression, no worry in his eyes, no tension in his body. 

Slowly, Xanxus pulled back. His hands slid off of Yamamoto and he wasn’t surprised when Yamamoto swayed towards him, his head following the movement of his hand but he didn’t step closer once Xanxus had pulled away.

“Dress,” Xanxus said, his voice unexpectedly rough to his own ears. He half-turned, staring at his wardrobe instead of Yamamoto. Staring, in fact, at the sword that leaned against the wood. 

There was a silence and then movement in the corner of his eye, a shuffling of cloth. Yamamoto dressed as slowly as he had stripped. 

When he had finished, Xanxus picked up Yamamoto’s outer clothes and handed them back to him. Yamamoto took the cloth in both hands but didn’t put it back on, he simply draped it over one arm. 

“Leave,” Xanxus said. 

Yamamoto picked up his sword and bowed deeply. “Sleep well, Xanxus,” he said while still bowing. Xanxus waved his hand dismissively and turned away from him again. 

He waited until Yamamoto had crossed the room and stepped out, sliding the door shut behind himself, before he punched his wardrobe.

Shaking out his fist, Xanxus swore under his breath.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. He wasn’t supposed to actually like the bastard Grandfather had tending him. He wasn’t supposed to give a shit about him.

Still furious at himself, at this situation, Xanxus went to bed.


	4. Happy Birthday Tsuna

The celebration for Tsuna’s eighth birthday started in the early afternoon. 

One of the formal entertainment halls had been transformed with decorations and banners with Tsuna’s name on them. 

Nobles and other court officials milled around in little revolving clusters of status and rank, talking amongst each other. There were more children than usual in attendance, the youngest of which being a pair of two five-year-olds, both of which were the children of foreign delegates whose parents brought them along while they visited Grandfather. 

Tsuna, being the subject of the whole party, sat upon a place of honor near one the far end of the room, wearing his finest clothing and accepting gifts and offers of tribute as politely as any little lord could. Xanxus felt a little sorry for him; Tsuna was so nervous he occasionally stumbled over his words or bowed his head at the wrong time. Xanxus didn’t blame him for being nervous. Not only was he the center of attention but he sat next to Grandfather, a place of honor he was certainly unused to.

As Grandfather’s favorite, though, Tsuna was going to have to get used to it eventually. 

Xanxus himself mingled very little with the crowd. There were some officials he knew well enough and spoke to, but mostly to catch up on what he’d missed while he was out hunting. The rumors of two distant lords fighting amongst each other were not new to him, but one of their neighbors had joined in this fight and that _was._

Xanxus listened and talked and wandered the crowd with Yamamoto patiently trailing along behind him. Yamamoto said nothing and smiled plenty and Xanxus, for the most part, ignored him. He was already going to cause enough of a scene with his gift, he didn’t need to ruin the party by leaning too hard into his ploy to get Yamamoto removed from his service, too.

Especially when he still wasn’t sure if he actually wanted to get rid of him.

Eventually, though, Xanxus approached the end of the hall where his nephew sat. Tsuna’s shoulders straightened up as he walked up and he smiled brightly. 

Xanxus gave Tsuna a proper bow and then, when he’d straightened up, he gestured to a servant standing off to the side. The woman hurried over, carrying a large cloth bundle that Xanxus took from her. 

“Happy birthday, nephew,” Xanxus said in an official tone, “I’ve brought you something from my travels that I’m sure you’ll enjoy.”

It was a decently sized box, nearly a foot long on every side, and the weight of it was a little lop-sided. He set it down in front of Tsuna and untied the knotted cloth at the top. 

Tsuna leaned forward, eyes wide, “What is it, uncle? What did you bring me?”

“A little companion of your own,” Xanxus said as the cloth fell away. The container beneath was a box with a woven lid and the seal that was placed on top glowed faintly when it was revealed to the air. Tsuna gasped as Xanxus peeled the paper seal off the top.

“You’ll need to open it and reach inside,” Xanxus said, “You must be the first one your little friend sees.”

Tsuna stared up at him and then slowly turned back down to the container. Cautiously, he lifted the lid up and peered down inside. Xanxus kept back, so he wouldn’t accidentally be seen, and smiled. 

Tsuna exclaimed as he reached into the box and, very carefully, pulled out the little lion cub from inside. To inexperienced eyes, Xanxus was sure the cub looked as normal as could be, but when the tail lashed to one side, a little flicker of flame was visible on the end. It was young enough to still have spots on the head and back, which also flickered with light as if they reflected an orange sheen on the fur. 

“I came across this cub on my last trip,” Xanxus said, “I’ve heard of such creatures before in my travels. They are social beasts and bond well with a family unit. They can be loyal and fiercely protective. He’ll grow up strong and powerful and be able to defend you from all manner of attacks, Tsuna.”

Tsuna clearly couldn’t take his eyes off of the cub that dangled in his hands. He just stared at it, mouth open slightly, unblinking. The cub’s tail twitched again to the other side and then it began to purr. The purring was so loud that Xanxus, standing several feet away, could clearly hear it. He grinned.

Tsuna pulled the cub to his chest and hugged it there. “I love him, Uncle,” he said in a reverent voice, “I love him so much.”

The cub busied itself by rubbing its head against Tsuna’s neck and chin, the large paws resting on his shoulders as Tsuna adjusted his hold on it. Tsuna laughed as the cub rubbed against him insistently. “What does he eat, Uncle? How should I take care of him?”

“He’s a carnivore,” Xanxus said, “So uncooked meat and fish will please him the most. He’ll need lots of attention and a big open space to run around. You must train him and treat him well, Tsuna. Poorly raised pets are more likely to turn on you and badly treated companions are more likely to leave you.”

Tsuna looked solemn at those words. He nodded, “I’ll raise him well, Uncle. I promise. You’ll see. He’ll be a very good lion and we’ll be the best of friends.”

Tsuna turned and looked to the side, where Gokudera stood waiting. Xanxus looked over, completely unsurprised to see Gokudera’s expression was sour. Tsuna didn’t seem to notice, or at least not react much to it, “Sensei,” he said, “Can you have them bring me some meat to feed Natsu?”

Gokudera bowed stiffly, “Of course, Tsuna.”

Xanxus grinned broadly. “I can see you’ll do a good job, Tsuna.”

Tsuna beamed at him, sitting back on his seat and cuddling his new cub companion. A servant came up and quickly whisked the box away from in front of them and carried it off. Xanxus gave Tsuna another little bow, “Enjoy your birthday, nephew.”

“Thank you so much, Uncle,” Tsuna said, distractedly looking up at him and then back at Natsu who was in his lap, “Really, thank you!”

“Anything for you,” Xanxus said quietly. Tsuna smiled even brighter.

He excused himself with a murmur and took the few steps over to where Grandfather stood, Yamamoto trailing behind him. When he stopped in front of Grandfather, Yamamoto came up to his left side, though a half step back, instead of standing guard behind him. Xanxus managed to stifle a wince, but only by hiding it while he bowed in greeting. Yamamoto, as was appropriate, bowed deeper to his grandfather.

Grandfather looked at him with an amused lift of his brow, “An interesting choice of gift, Xanxus. Such a creature is quite a lot of responsibility for a child.”

“For a child, perhaps,” Xanxus said, “But for a future lord? It will be good practice. Cultivating loyalty and respect in a wild animal will be easier than doing the same with the people he will one day rule over. However, the premise is the same. As long as Natsu is fed, rested, and treated well, he will surely be loyal to Tsuna.”

Grandfather nodded slightly, “Man is just a more sophisticated beast; it is possible to tame a man, but as with any creature, it breaks the spirit. Hopefully, raising Natsu will teach Tsuna how to nurture without crushing the wild will.”

Xanxus nodded, “As you say, Grandfather. I have no doubt Tsuna will learn such lessons and more from Natsu.”

And then, to Xanxus’s surprise, Grandfather turned his attention to Yamamoto and asked, “And what do you think of such a gift, Yamamoto?”

Xanxus blinked several times as he looked at Yamamoto, who smiled benignly at Grandfather as if completely unperturbed by being addressed by the patriarch of Xanxus's family and the ruler of the region. “Xanxus tells me that Tsuna is afraid of dogs. So, a cat is a much better companion for him. I trust that Xanxus knows the heart of his nephew well and that Tsuna will raise it in such a way that it doesn’t become an unruly pet.” 

“His fear of dogs is rather acute,” Grandfather mused, tapping his chin thoughtfully, “I had to move my own hunting dogs into the stables because he would weep at the sight of them. Hopefully, it is something he will outgrow if he feels safe with his cat around.”

Yamamoto nodded, bowing slightly, “As you say, my lord.”

“Xanxus,” Grandfather said. 

Xanxus straightened and wiped the surprise off of his face. “Yes, Grandfather?”

“I will have time to speak with you tomorrow. I’m sure you’ve heard rumors of distant squabbles between lords and I would like to inform you of the details and hear your thoughts. I’ll send for you in the afternoon, so we may speak.” 

“Yes, Grandfather,” Xanxus bowed. 

“And make sure you bring Yamamoto along. There’s no point in making him stay behind,” Grandfather said, “That is all.”

“Yes, Grandfather,” Xanxus said. He then backed away, clearly dismissed, and took Yamamoto with him. 

Xanxus resisted grabbing Yamamoto by the collar and dragging him off to pepper him with questions but only just. He did shoot him a sharp look, as Yamamoto continued to walk at his side, but Yamamoto just smiled at him. 

He was making his way to the side of the room, so he could duck out and interrogate his new guard, but they were cut off by Nana. She approached with a smile, wearing fine clothing and holding one of her gilded fans. Xanxus stopped short of running into her and backed up a step or two.

“Sister,” he greeted her, “Congratulations. Tsuna is growing up well.”

“He certainly is,” Nana said, “Thank you for such a wonderful gift. I’m worried that Gokudera might have a little fit about it, but I’m sure he’ll come around eventually.”

“So am I,” Xanxus said with a smile, “He never struck me as one who liked animals, so I hope this isn’t too much trouble for him.” 

“It’s rather more that animals don’t much like him,” Nana said, “Poor boy, when he was younger he had a cat that would always scratch him when he tried to pet it. He still loved it quite terribly, though.”

Xanxus blinked a moment. He always forgot that Nana had known Gokudera when he was younger. They both came from the same distant kingdom, of course, but both looked so young he often mistook them for peers, not as junior and senior. “That is unfortunate,” Xanxus said. 

And for the second time that morning, Xanxus was surprised when Nana turned to address Yamamoto directly as Grandfather had. “I wasn’t able to formally welcome you the other day, Yamamoto,” she said with a polite little bow, “Forgive my distance, I was quite unsure about your position until recently.”

Yamamoto bowed back to her, “I’m not offended,” he said, “I understand that one must take caution when they’re uncertain about others. I am a stranger to this household, though I don’t mean to remain so.”

Nana smiled at him, “Tsuna tells me that you’ve sworn never to cut off his head,” her eyes crinkled in amusement, “I apologize for his fear. Gokudera can be very protective and quite paranoid. He insists that it is what has kept him alive for so long, but sometimes it can make Tsuna worry so.”

“Xanxus cares very deeply for Tsuna and for his family,” Yamamoto said, “And as I’ve sworn to protect him, that means I will also protect the things he cherishes. If I am able, I will not allow any harm to befall you or your family.”

“You are very kind, Yamamoto,” Nana said, “I appreciate your loyalty to your words and hope that you can remain at Xanxus’s side.”

Xanxus was beginning to think that there was some aspect of this conversation he was beginning to miss. He narrowed his eyes as he looked from his smiling bodyguard to his smiling sister-in-law. No. Not just one thing. There were at least two layers here that he was unaware of. 

Yamamoto had been here for barely more than a week, and half that time he hadn’t even been on palace grounds. Exactly what happened while Xanxus was away? 

“I don’t mean to be rude, Sister,” Xanxus said, “But I have something I must take care of.” He bowed to her and stepped away.

“Oh of course,” Nana said, “We’ll see you at dinner then, Xanxus. Yamamoto.”

Yamamoto bowed politely. Xanxus turned away and continued to walk to the side of the room. His mind was already spinning, wondering where the best place would be to interrogate Yamamoto about this nonsense. His rooms? Not without chasing out his servants and that would be suspicious. The hot spring? No, he might need to pace or be forceful with his questions. He could ride back out to the woods and-

Suddenly Reborn stood in his path, appearing out of the shadows without a sound. They stood in the hallway just outside the main room, dimly lit as it was only for passing through right now. 

Reborn held out a folded note to him wordlessly.

Xanxus took it and unfolded it. He swore under his breath as he read through it. When he looked up, he wasn’t surprised to see Reborn’s attention was over his shoulder, on Yamamoto. 

Yamamoto was apparently everyone’s favorite thing to pay attention to today. 

“Grandfather requested my presence in a meeting tomorrow,” Xanxus said, “Tell him I’ll meet with him later, or he can send a messenger with the details if he must. I need to take care of this immediately.”

Reborn bowed slightly, “Of course. Travel safely.”

Xanxus shoved the note into his shirt and walked past Reborn. He thought he heard a murmur of something so he glanced over his shoulder. All he saw was Reborn straightening up, Yamamoto giving him a curious smile, neither of them speaking.

The hair rose on the back of Xanxus’s neck anyway. All his instincts told him that something was going on with Yamamoto, but at the same time, he felt safeguarded around him. Trustworthy but suspicious. What a hell of a combo. 

“Come on,” Xanxus said, “We’re getting ready and leaving immediately.”

“As you say, Xanxus,” Yamamoto said. 

Gritting his teeth, Xanxus turned and stalked off to his rooms, Yamamoto walking just behind him on the left side. 

* * *

They rode hard through the afternoon. Xanxus’s favorite horse, Bester, was the strongest and fastest horse of the household, though he’d procured the second-best horse for Yamamoto to ride. He kept their pace quick- not too quick to wear the horses down to nothing- but quick enough that there was no room for idle chatter. 

Xanxus hadn’t forgotten the strange behavior he’d seen at Tsuna’s birthday celebration, the attention Yamamoto had gotten, the brief conversations, but he let those thoughts settle in the back of his mind. He’d consider them quietly for a while, let the meaning of them develop in his mind until he had the time and energy to interrogate Yamamoto.

If he could catch the man off guard when he did it, that would be even better. Surely he’d be able to extract all the information he wanted to know given enough time.

And since they were traveling to the farthest edge of the region, there would be plenty of time to question Yamamoto. 

Xanxus narrowed his eyes as he leaned forward, urging Bester into a faster gait.

_I’ll get him to talk,_ Xanxus thought to himself, _I’ll get him to_ ** _sing._ **

He remembered the feeling of Yamamoto’s lips against his palm, the look in his dark eyes, half-open and heated. Getting him to open his mouth wasn’t going to be difficult at all. Getting him to talk sense? To tell Xanxus what was the truth and not what he thought Xanxus wanted to hear? Now that might be a little more challenging.

_I have time,_ Xanxus thought. _I have plenty of time._


End file.
